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How long do you guys think till we can contend and actually try to end this curse!!!!

Well realisticly maybe 2015. If guys like Rizzo and Castro continue to improve and we get a few guys like Baez, Soler or Amora show they are ready. I can see the team start to spend big money to add pieces around these guys. For 2013 and maybe 2014 they won't be expected to do much. But as teams like the A's and Orioles showed last year. Well you never know when a team might surprise.Theo/Hoyer will make moves to try to make the 2013 Cubs as competitive as possible in 2013, without trying to hurt the long term future of the team. If they hit some home runs with the moves they make this off season, along with some improvement with young players. Well this team could surprise people.

I think they'll try to win games at the Major League level again starting in 2014, and teams like Oakland and Baltimore showed, a little effort and a lotta luck, anything can happen when you're trying.

This whole 2015 is the year we contend for a WS thing is a joke as it stands right now. Baez, Soler, Almora at best are rookies this year and most likely more like mid season call ups like Rizzo was this year. It's gonna take a few nice trades, FA;s signings for us to be competiting for a WS title. Playoff contenders, possibly in the race yes. I'm gonna shoot for 2016/17 before we start saying hell yes this team can win it all this year!

This whole 2015 is the year we contend for a WS thing is a joke as it stands right now. Baez, Soler, Almora at best are rookies this year and most likely more like mid season call ups like Rizzo was this year. It's gonna take a few nice trades, FA;s signings for us to be competiting for a WS title. Playoff contenders, possibly in the race yes. I'm gonna shoot for 2016/17 before we start saying hell yes this team can win it all this year!

I think they could realistically sign some expensive free agents for 2015 since they know they're going to have a young core that will be getting better over time and who won't be expensive until those expensive free agents are nearing the end of their contracts. I think the Cubs in 2015 will be kind of where the Braves are now, just with a different scale of cash available to sign free agents.

I don't think it's too unrealistic to believe that the improvement can go incrementally from:

2013- 70-92
2014- 81-81
2015- 92-70 Contending for division/WS.

To say that contending in 2015 is ridiculous because 3 prospects won't be all-stars yet is beyond silly. One will prolly disappoint big time, 2 of the 3 will probably be traded for big time contributors (along with a lot of the other spects in development). And if even one is a significant rookie contributor, well that's wonderful! Just because Thoyer is dedicated to building farm value doesn't preclude him from making a big time trade to get a big time piece we're missing. I fully expect an ace pitcher to come sometime in the next couple years. That's why you build a farm.

I don't think it's too unrealistic to believe that the improvement can go incrementally from:

2013- 70-92
2014- 81-81
2015- 92-70 Contending for division/WS.

To say that contending in 2015 is ridiculous because 3 prospects won't be all-stars yet is beyond silly. One will prolly disappoint big time, 2 of the 3 will probably be traded for big time contributors (along with a lot of the other spects in development). And if even one is a significant rookie contributor, well that's wonderful! Just because Thoyer is dedicated to building farm value doesn't preclude him from making a big time trade to get a big time piece we're missing. I fully expect an ace pitcher to come sometime in the next couple years. That's why you build a farm.

It's linear like that? That's convenient. I believe the Royals and Pirates have both fallen for that, though I'm too lazy to check.

Notice the qualifying language in there.

I don't think it's too unrealistic to believe that the improvement can go incrementally...

There. I underlined it for you. I did not say it WILL be linear. I said that I don't THINK it's an unreasonable to hold the belief that improvements can happen at that pace. Reading comprehension is important.

2015 is when one an start hope, but as previous folks have stated that would require some doing. In my opinion the only way that happens is with outside pitching. While there are a lot of kids in the system I don't see n ace in he bunch ha would be with the team in 15'. I would think that unless they sign someone or trade for someone to be that guy, it's not going to happen till 16' or 17'.

Originally Posted by MrPoon

man with hair like fire can destroy souls with a twitch of his thighs.

I don't think it's too unrealistic to believe that the improvement can go incrementally...

There. I underlined it for you. I did not say it WILL be linear. I said that I don't THINK it's an unreasonable to hold the belief that improvements can happen at that pace. Reading comprehension is important.